Three Types of Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Transcription

1 203B 1700 Nrth Brad Street (062 57) Philadelphia, PA phne: fax web Three Types f Optinal Practical Training (OPT) Pre-Cmpletin OPT: Applicable t students wh intend t d a paid practical training while they are pursuing degree. Emplyment must be directly related t yur majr field f study. F-1 students may be authrized t participate in pre-cmpletin OPT after they have been enrlled fr ne full academic year. Students authrized t participate in pre-cmpletin OPT must wrk part-time(20 OR fewer hurs) fr the duratin f the apprval. Yu may nt wrk full-time if yur OPT has been recmmended/ and apprved fr part-time authrizatin. Yu can nly request full-time pre-cmpletin OPT during the fall r spring semseter if yu have met all degree requirements Must remain registered fr a full-curse f study while engaged in Pre-cmpletin OPT. Students wh have nt yet met the ne full academic year requirement can file fr pre-cmpletin OPT n sner than 90 days befre meeting that requirement. Students wh have already met the ne academic year requirement may apply fr pre-cmpletin OPT up t 120 days in advance f the requested emplyment start date. Pst-Cmpletin OPT: Applicable t students wh intend t d a paid r nn-paid practical training after they cmplete prgram f study. Pst-cmpletin OPT can nly be authrized full-time. Emplyment must be directly related t yur majr field f study. Students can file fr pst-cmpletin OPT up t 90 days befre meeting degree requirements. Students may file the applicatin fr pst cmpletin OPT n mre than 60 days after they have met degree requirement. The applicatin fr pst cmpletin pt must be received by the USCIS and keyed int their system. If the USCIS receives yur pst cmpletin OPT applicatin it n the 60 th day after yu meet degree requirements, but dn t key it int their system until the 61 st r 62 nd day, it culd be rejected. Yu must apply fr pst cmpletin OPT befre departing the U.S. Yu cannt meet degree requirements, re-enter the U.S. and then apply fr pst cmpletin OPT. STEM OPT Extensins: Fr the special 17-mnth extensin f OPT fr students with STEM (Science, Technlgy, Engineering, and Medical) majr. The emplyer must t be enrlled in the E-verify prgram. See fr a recent listing f STEM degrees. Students can file fr STEM OPT Extensins n sner than 120 days befre 12 mnth OPT expiratin date. After the expiratin f 12 mnth OPT, students are n lnger eligible fr extensin. All students fllw these steps:

2 1. Yu read this handut. It has been develped t answer the questins mst frequently asked by students. 2. Yu get the Academic Advisr frm (in this handut) cmpleted by yur academic advisr. That s the persn in yur academic department wh helps yu with registratin, academic advising, etc. 3. Yu review the advisrs frm. The advisr must fill in the date student will meet degree requirements. 1. Yu must chse a start date fr yur emplyment Fr Pst cmpletin OPT the start date must be withing 60 days f yur prgram cmpletin date. Fr pre-cmpletin the start shuld be selected based n the fact that the applicatin shuld take between 6-8 weeks t be apprved. 2. It is highly recmmended that yu attend OPT sessin befre yu apply. 4. Yu submit the entire applicatin t the ISSS at any time. We will nt review the applicatin during walk-in hurs. The applicatin will be reviewed when the advisr makes the OPT recmmendatin. 5. DO NOT STAPLE ANY MATERIALS TOGETER. 6. Internatinal Student Advisr will thrughly review yur applicatin and upn determining that yu are maintaining yur status, makes a recmmendatin fr the OPT. Again, please d nt bring the packet in during walk-in hurs fr a review. 7. Yu will be ed within 3-5 business days by the ISSS t let yu knw that yur packet is ready. We will yur TU accunt. Please be sure t check that accunt regularly. 8. Yu must cme back t the ISSS t cllect yur packet, sign the new I-20 that was generated by the advisr recmmending OPT and mail the applicatin t the USCIS. 9. Yu must make sure that yu mail the applicatin t the USCIS within 30 days f the OPT recmmendatin. 10. USCIS reviews and ntifies yu f the decisin. This generally takes between 60 and 90 days. 11. Yu must receive an Emplyment Authrizatin Dcument (EAD) frm USCIS befre wrk begins. 12. All f jbs yu take up have t relate t majr field f study. OPT General Ntes: Yu cannt cntinue wrking under pre-cmpletin OPT authrizatin after yu cmplete yur prgram f study. If yu want t wrk part-time in yur final semester and then full-time after meeting degree requirements, that wuld be tw separate applicatins, tw separate fees, etc. OPT must be directly related t the student's curse f study; shuld als be cmmensurate with the level f the student's study. Additinal infrmatin fr Students Applying fr Pst Cmpletin OPT nly: Duble Majrs: The OPT must be directly related t the degree yu just received. Example: if yu cmplete a degree in Bilgy in December 20XX and cntinue studying fr a degree in Histry yur OPT wuld be based n the mst recently cmpleted degree, Histry. If yu meet degree requirements fr bth degrees in the same semester, then yu can chse which t use fr OPT. The ISSS will nt extend yur I-20 s yu can cmplete a minr. Yu wuld have t apply fr OPT and then meet minr degree requirements while engaged in OPT. See Study n OPT belw. Stem extensins will nt be granted fr a minr. OPT applicatin must be prperly filed with USCIS within 60 days f meeting degree requirements. Start date fr pst cmpletin OPT must be within the 60 days f meeting degree requirements. The OPT packet must be submitted t the USCIS within 30 days f the OPT recmmendatin. Yu must start emplyment within 90 days f yur OPT start date. During pst-cmpletin OPT, F-1 status is dependent upn emplyment. During any initial 12-mnth perid f pst-cmpletin OPT; n student may be unemplyed fr an aggregate f mre than 90 days. If a STEM student receives a 17-mnth extensin, the limit n unemplyment is raised t an aggregate f n mre than 120 days, applied t the entire 29-mnth perid n which the student is n pst cmpletin OPT. Yu are required t reprt any change f name r address, r interruptin f such emplyment t the ISSS fr the duratin f the authrized training. Submit What t Reprt t OIS frm available in OPT sectin f this web site. See What t Reprt t the OIS while n OPT.

3 Part-time vs full-time OPT: Pre-cmpletin OPT may be requested n a part-time r full-time basis. Each request is separate and requires a separate applicatin, separate fee, and separate phts. Here s an example: Yu want t wrk fr an academic year. Yu want t wrk part-time during the spring semester, full-time during the summer and part-time during the fllwing fall semester. Yu have t apply fr part-time pre-cmpletin OPT frm January May, full-time frm May t august and then part-time frm September t December. Each applicatin wuld require a separate fee, etc. Yur emplyment authrizatin wuld have t be cntinuus thrughut, r yu wuld have t stp wrking. Yu culd nly avid 3 separate applicatins if yu applied fr ne year f part-time pre-cmpletin OPT and nly wrked part-time during the summer. Yu are eligible fr 12 mnths per educatinal level Part-time OPT is deducted frm the 12 mnth limit at 50%. S fur mnths f part-time OPT cunts as tw mnths and is deducted as such. CPT des nt affect OPT at all UNLESS yu are authrized fr 12 mnths f full-time emplyment. Additinal 17 mnths fr students studying in STEM field This extensin may be requested ne time nly. It is nt per degree level. Additinal reprting requirements fr students authrized fr STEM extensin: The student must reprt t ISSS every six mnths, cnfirming the infrmatin listed n What t Reprt t OIS ; even if there have been n changes. The requirement t reprt cntinues if the student s 17-mnth STEM extensin is extended further by the autmatic cap-gap extensin. Offer f emplyment N ffer f emplyment is required upn submissin f OPT applicatin, but the student is expected t find emplyment within 90 days f the start date f the EAD card. There is n written requirement fr paid emplyment. Hwever, a student shuld nt vlunteer t d a jb that is nrmally paid. See fr Department f Labr regulatins regarding vlunteering.

4 What the student must d Submit t the ISSS: DO NOT STAPLE ANYTHING TOGETER I-765 see Click n frms. Yu can cmplete the I-765 n line. Phtcpies f ALL prir Frms I-20. Make sure yu have yur initial I-20. If yu are missing any frms I-20 yu need t write a letter t the USCIS explaining what happened t it. Address the letter t whm it may cncern Academic advisr frm included in this packet (nt required fr STEM extensins) Student request frm fr OPT recmmendatin. Make sure yu have selected the start and end dates f the emplyment. Instructins fr chsing the dates are n the Student request fr OPT Recmmendatin (nt required fr STEM extensins the extensin starts the day after yur current OPT ends). We cannt make the recmmendatin withut it. It must be dates mm/dd/yy NOT Early June Write a check payable t the U.S. Department f Hmeland Security fr $ Obtain tw passprt-style phts; 2 x2, white backgrund, shulders and up. (fr guidelines, g t Submit a cpy (bth sides) f Frm I-94 Cpy f any previus EAD cards frnt and back. Yu wuld nly have an EAD card if yu applied fr sme type f emplyment authrizatin befre (nt CPT) Cpy f yur current registratin (available thrugh Owlnet) (nt required fr STEM extensins) Cpy f yur academic histry at Temple (available thrugh Owlnet) (nt required fr STEM extensins) Cpy f Transcripts frm ALL US schls that yu have attended (riginals are nt required, print-ut and cpies are fine; nt required fr STEM extensins). If yu ve nly attended Temple, then just submit the Owlnet academic histry. Cpy f yur F-1 visas Cpy f mst recent entry stamp - the ne matches the I-94 card Cpy f yur unexpired passprt pht and passprt validity page(s). Fr stem extensins nly: We d nt need academic advisr s frm r transcripts. Instead f these tw items, submit: A cpy f yur diplma 2-3 weeks f paystubs Letter frm yur emplyer regarding yur emplyment status (title, length f emplyment, etc. This wuld be a standard emplyment verificatin letter). We d nt have a template. The materials yu submit will be reviewed by the ISSS. Yu will be infrmed f any missing materials. Yu will receive an frm the ISSS t accunt when the packet is ready. Yu will have t pick up the packet, review it, and mail the applicatin t the USCIS. Please d nt bring in the applicatin during walk in hurs t be reviewed prir t submissin. We review it entirely befre we make the OPT recmmendatin. 1. Student request fr OPT Recmmendatin - DO NOT STAPLE ANY OPT APPLICATION MATERIALS TOGETER.

5 DO NOT FILL THIS IN UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE HANDOUT TO WHICH THIS FORM IS ATTACHED!! Yur Name: TU ID#: Nn temple address I am requesting Full Time Part Time Pre- cmpletin OPT OR Full Time Pst Cmpletin OPT Date t begin: Date t End: List any dates f previusly authrized CPT r OPT Begin End Level f study during r prir t emplyment Full Time r Part Time Full Time Part Time Remember: Yu are eligible fr 12 mnths f OPT per academic level. This applies t certificatin prgrams, undergraduate degrees, prfessinal level studies, etc. CHOOSING YOUR DATES If yu feel that yu will be able t find emplyment quickly upn cmpleting yur prgram, yu shuld pick an early start date. If yu feel that yu are ging t take sme time t find emplyment, then pick a start date that is clse t r at the end f yur 60-day grace perid. After yur Academic Advisr cmpletes page 6 yu must select the date yu want the OPT t begin and end. Refer t the Specific Date f Cmpletin yur advisr listed n the frm t determine yur date preference. Yu must select a requested beginning date and end date fr OPT. It has t be a date: Mnth/Day/Year. Smetime in June r early May is nt a date. The I-20 yu need t apply fr the emplyment authrizatin dcument cannt be generated withut a start and end date. If yu are meeting degree requirements the start date must be within 60 days f the cmpletin date indicated by yur academic advisr n page 6. Yu may nly apply fr a ttal f 12 mnths full time OPT (minus any time yu ve already used). Fr example, if yu will meet degree requirements n May 9 th, the OPT can begin any day frm May 10, 200X thrugh July 9th, 200X. Yu can g t the fllwing website t calculate yur dates: If this link desn t wrk fr yu, des an internet search fr date calculatrs and yu ll find ne that des.

6 T Be Cmpleted and Signed By Academic Advisr This frm is nt t be cmpleted by the student r by the staff f Internatinal Student and Schlar Services Student s Name: TU ID#: Beginning Date f Current Degree: Field f Study: Bachelr s Master s PhD Other Ttal # f Credits Needed t Receive Degree: Ttal # f Credits Accumulated t Date: Has this student cntinuusly cmpleted a full curse f study? Yes N If nt, please explains why student has fallen belw full-time status. Graduate students must cmplete 9 credits hurs per Spring and Fall Semesters Graduate Students with a Teaching / Research Assistantship may register fr and cmplete a minimum f six (6) credits. Undergraduate students must cmplete a minimum f 12 credit hurs. SPECIFIC DATE f Degree Cmpletin [date by which student will meet prgram requirements (i.e. date f last class, defends dissertatin, submits thesis, last exam) [NOT DATE OF GRADUATION CEREMONY] Advisr s Name: Advisr s Signature: Advisr s Date: Mnth/Day/Year please dn t just fill in the semester